Oldham MP calls for action on dangerous driving deaths and serious injuries

Since 2010, data indicates that 65 people have been killed on Oldham’s roads

Since 2010, data indicates that 65 people have been killed on Oldham’s roads, with 755 seriously injured, some of which will have been the result of dangerous driving.

In the past five years, four young girls under 16 years old have been killed on Oldham’s roads at the hands of dangerous drivers.

Alisha Goup lost her life walking home from college, with CCTV capturing Omar Choudhury and Hamidur Rahman racing two BMW cars through the town before Alisha was struck and killed on her way to Oldham Sixth Form College in February.

Choudhury, 22, and Rahman, 24, both of Oldham, were jailed.

Beyond our immediate borders, Chadderton mum Frankie Jules-Hough and her unborn baby were tragically killed, and her young son and nephew seriously injured on the M66 near Bury, by Adil Iqbal, who was filming himself driving at speeds of 123mph before losing control of his vehicle.

Iqbal, 22, had his sentenced increased by three years up from 12 following an appeal led by Frankie's family.

Jim McMahon, Labour and Co-Operative MP for Oldham West and Royton, said: “The scale of road deaths and serious injuries in Oldham is concerning.

"The result is the human cost behind the failure to address this issue, hearing the stories involved is heart-breaking; each one a loved one lost with family members and friends left grieving.

"Too many of the deaths are the result of dangerous driving, racing, aggression, some even filming moments before and during the accidents, by some with a history of previous dangerous driving.

"The information we have found is only scratching the surface.

"Anyone locally will know that on almost any journey around town you’ll witness reckless driving behaviour which only for sheer luck doesn’t lead to another tragic incident.

"I want to highlight this so that all agencies step up action.

"I’ve asked the government if they can be confident that victims and their families receive justice on sentencing and isn’t it time more was done to enforce our towns?”

Mr McMahon has written to the government asking for urgent intervention on the issue and for police to have more powers to enforce before another tragedy potentially occurs.

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